Council to put the brakes on speeding motorists in Quarry Bank

THE brakes will soon be put on speeding drivers using a busy Quarry Bank dual carriageway when the speed limit is cut from 40 to 30mph.

Dudley Council will spend around £10,000 reducing the limit on Thorns Road following calls from residents to make the road safer.

Parents who have to cross the road to take their children to nearby schools have been concerned about motorists disregarding the rules of the road by flouting the speed limit, running red lights and performing u-turns.

The reduction, which will come into force in four to six weeks, will cover a 1.5 mile stretch, including parts of Pedmore Road, Lye and Merry Hill.

Councillor Khurshid Ahmed, cabinet member for transportation, said the new speed limit was part of the council's safer routes to school scheme and added: “We received a number of requests from residents for reduced speed along Thorns Road to make the area safer.

“The safety of children and parents travelling to and from school is very important to us and as a result we are planning to restrict the speed of traffic along the road from 40 to 30mph and add improved school warning signs."

He continued: “The scheme has the full support of the local community, following concerns about speeding outside Thorns Primary School. We have listened to what people have asked us to do and hopefully this work will lead to safer travel in the area for everyone.

"There have been no objections, it is something that has been welcomed and something that is required."

Cllr Ahmed said the £10,000 to implement the scheme, which covers the cost of the consultation, traffic regulation orders, road signage and markings, was "money well spent" as the safety of children was paramount.

Quarry Bank mum Jo Messinger, who urged the council to make the road safer after experiencing near-misses while crossing the road at the junction of Quarry Bank High Street with her sons, eight-year-old Adam and Zach, aged six, welcomed the news.

She said: "I'm really pleased that they are reducing the speed limit, it's a very busy road. But it will be up to motorists to comply with the law and reduce their speed. Hopefully they won't put their foot down quite so much."

Comments (5)

Another of the area's major arteries takes a step closer to gridlock. We await its re-christening to "car-clogged Thorns Road" by an astonished Councillor with relish. We also await the re-designation of all the surrounding public roads as "rat runs" by the local residents who can't grasp why "people" are using "their" roads.

Another of the area's major arteries takes a step closer to gridlock. We await its re-christening to "car-clogged Thorns Road" by an astonished Councillor with relish. We also await the re-designation of all the surrounding public roads as "rat runs" by the local residents who can't grasp why "people" are using "their" roads.Sam Vimes

Another pointless idea. No matter what the speed limit is you will always get the idiots doing ridiculous speeds. Lets face it most people drive a little bit above the speed limit but its those ones that really abuse it that need stamping out. 40 is a good speed for that road.

Another pointless idea. No matter what the speed limit is you will always get the idiots doing ridiculous speeds. Lets face it most people drive a little bit above the speed limit but its those ones that really abuse it that need stamping out. 40 is a good speed for that road.KellyJones

mucklow hill resident wrote:
Totally agree Kellyjones. Why does it cost £10,000 to change a speed limit that does not need changing. No wonder the council is broke

This! Those signs must be very expensive.

[quote][p][bold]mucklow hill resident[/bold] wrote:
Totally agree Kellyjones. Why does it cost £10,000 to change a speed limit that does not need changing. No wonder the council is broke[/p][/quote]This! Those signs must be very expensive.Hoohaa69

If this was about school children's safety then a part-time limit in the vicinity of the schools, indicated by flashing signs, would be the obvious answer. This 30 mph speed limit blanketed over 1.5 miles of DUAL CARRIAGEWAY is just the latest instance of a local government Traffic Impedance Scheme. Plus. what a golden opportunity for the "safety" cameras, when they return, to scoop up ££££££! Why not tear up the tarmac and make the'oss road just that - for 'osses only - that'll be MUCH safer.

If this was about school children's safety then a part-time limit in the vicinity of the schools, indicated by flashing signs, would be the obvious answer. This 30 mph speed limit blanketed over 1.5 miles of DUAL CARRIAGEWAY is just the latest instance of a local government Traffic Impedance Scheme. Plus. what a golden opportunity for the "safety" cameras, when they return, to scoop up ££££££! Why not tear up the tarmac and make the'oss road just that - for 'osses only - that'll be MUCH safer.ordinarymotorist